Working out how to start this blog (and whether to start it at all) has taken me a while. But the coming of the New Year, 2011, seems like a good time to look back to 2010 and also to look forward to, hopefully, better things to come.
But still, where to start?... 2010 has been for me, not so much the Year of the Tiger, but the Year of the Horse because I have spent so much time in stirrups! Trying to fit all the events of this year into a post that anyone will have the patience to read is difficult, but I'll do my best....
At the beginning of 2010, my bloke and I had been TTC for well over a year but our insurance hadn't covered fertility testing until that point. So the year started with blood tests, swabs, scans and an HSG I'd rather forget at our foreigner-friendly international hospital. Plus sending my bloke to a local Chinese clinic to do his thing into a cup... something he was not that keen on doing. My bloke's results were not that good, mine were unclear... So my usual pessimism that had been telling me that something must be wrong seemed to have been accurate.. damn!
The next step was finding a fertility clinic - something that I know is stressful whatever country you're in. But the language barrier of my virtually non-existent Chinese added an extra dimension! It didn't start well... a packed clinic with dozens of confused-looking (Chinese) couples standing around, women waiting for scans and no-one who could explain to me how to get to the Doctor I'd been referred to see. Eventually the security guard dragged me into her room, because it seemed I was being too British and assuming there was a queue! As I sat with the Dr and divulged all our most intimate secrets, a patient came in and sat next to me... then another... then another came and stood behind me.. then a couple of male patients came in and interrupted me for the Dr to sign something. I realised that I was clearly quite used to China because it barely fazed me :) But I knew I wasn't going back there again if I could help it....
Part 2 coming soon...
Year of the Horse! That made me burst out laughing.
ReplyDeleteThe other post where you mention locals perceptions of foreigners and their surprise at you being at the fertility clinic is fascinating to me. I almost felt the same in reverse the first time I entered the clinic here in this predominantly catholic country.
:)
ReplyDeleteMy ideas about what the locals are thinking are just that.. my ideas.. which is the sad thing about me not speaking enough Chinese to chat with the other girls at the clinic. But met a lady in the IUI changing/waiting room on Thursday who spoke very good English and we had a nice chat. I was able to reassure here that the procedure wouldn't hurt, but realised it wasn't reassuring to tell her it was my 3rd time with the first 2 not working! Oops!
I read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!
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